“Tom Clancy’s The Division” was an imperfect game at launch, but rather than let it wallow in its faults, Ubisoft’s development teams actively worked to make the game better. The title that players experienced a year after launch was different from the one at its release.

With the sequel, “Tom Clancy’s The Division 2,” the developers appear to pick up where they left off. Creative director Julian Gerighty said one of the biggest lessons they learned was the need for an end game. That’s the content that comes after finishing the campaign. For a shoot-and-loot project with a touch of MMO traits, keeping players invested in the world is essential.

From what I played of “The Division 2” at preview event, the developers heed that lesson and introduce elements to make the world more dynamic. Taking place seven months after the outbreak that devastates the United States, the campaign follows a set of new Division agents — players create their own avatars — as they try to take back the capital.

It’s been overrun with different factions and how these gangs interact is one of the more interesting differences in the sequel. The way Gerighty talked about it, the game appears to use the ideas of the “Far Cry” franchise to create different system within the world so that more emergent moments occur naturally.

Factions battle each other for resources. Control points scattered throughout Washington, D.C., trigger new activities. This constant tug of war ideally would create a world of unexpected battles that make the game less monotonous. The other big change comes in the end game, which introduces the Black Tusks. This the uber faction of the game. They are technologically advance and they invade the main missions and other parts of the world.

Gerighty said the Tusks “adds replayabliity and gives you new reasons to unlock specialization and signature weapons.” The harder enemies offer incentive to go back and replay quests that players finished in the past. Meanwhile, the new faction creates tough challenges even for seasoned veterans.

I had a chance to go against the Tusks firsthand with a squad of four. We took on some of the end-game content in two missions. One was in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the second was a federal emergency bunker from the previous century.

Each team member had specialization that unlocks once players hit level 30. These come in the form of signature weapons which include crossbows, grenade launchers and a .50-caliber sniper rifle. The grenade launcher helps with killing enemies in cover while the crossbows hit enemies with status effects. The sniper rifles do major damage.

Similar to the previous games players don’t have to be pigeonholed to a specific class. The beauty about “The Division 2” is that gear essentially determines the class you play. Players can act as a tank provided they have the armor and weapons that are good at absorbing damage. Damage dealers can still sit in the back and snipe away. To actually use these weapons, players have to kill enemies and pick up special ammo, which can be scarce.

Jumping in against the Black Tusks was challenging. Because they’re technology advanced, they have access to some powerful weapons including the specialization gear that players have. They attack with drones and four-legged tank bots that deal tons of damage and are difficult to deal with.

Playing through the air and space museum the terrain became more important than usual. During the mission, my squad was shot up in a small contained area from a relentless flows of enemies. The physical proximity made it a tough fight dealing with drone dogs and enemies pouring from the ground level and above.

We found it was better to fall back and draw the enemies to narrow corridors so that we had an easier job concentrating our fire. That tactic only worked sometimes though because we encountered moments in the bunker mission when we dropped down into rooms and were stuck fighting in a medium-sized rooms. The notably part about this battle is that “The Division 2” constantly changes how enemies come at players. It’s more random and not as scripted so players will have to be on their toes with enemies pouring out of unexpected doors or walkways.

As for the combat, it plays almost exactly like “The Division” that fans will remember. Cover is important. Shooting out in the open is asking to get killed. Gadgets help turn the tide of battle with the trusty turret and seeker mine. The newer drone that flies around and either heals armor or attacks enemies depending on the customization.

Conserving medkits is important as ever. Players come into each mission with a set amount, and they need to make them last to beat a mission. They’re likely going to be needed in the planned 8-player raids.

Toward that end, the developers have included clan support. They aren’t necessarily for hard-core players but seen by developers as a way for gamers to have a pool of partners with which to play.

“It’s way more fun when you play as a group,” Gerighty said. “If you play at odd hours and can’t normally get in a the same session with friends. It’s important to play with people you trust. You can create or join a clan. It allows you to be in with like-minded people.”

The setup sounds more casual and seems to be a way to play with semi-dedicated group. That’s incredibly important in the Dark Zones.

Gerighty said “The Division 2” includes three Dark Zones scattered around Washington, D.C. This time around the areas are normalized so that players with stronger gear don’t dominate the field. It’s a way to even the playing field so that skilled players can show off. For those who want the old style Dark Zone, that’s still available. They’ll be called one occupied Dark Zones and they’ll rotate among the three dedicated sites. The occupied Dark Zones operate under the old free-for-all rules.

With “The Division 2,” it appears that Ubisoft is giving fans more of what made the original successful while also creating a more dynamic world that changes over time. It looks like they’ll be more variety that will encourage players to replay missions and grind for better gear as they push to create the perfect agent to free the U.S. capital. Best of all, Gerighty said the post-launch content will be free for everyone. The community won’t be split.

“Tom Clancy’s The Division 2” is scheduled for release March 15 on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.